1560s, "art of making statues;" 1580s, "statue sculptor," from Latin statuaria (ars), noun use of fem. of statuarius "of statues," as a noun, "maker of statues," from statua "an image, statue, monumental figure" (see statue). Meaning "statues collectively" is from 1670s. As an adjective, "of or pertaining to statues," 1620s, from the noun or from Latin statuarius.